When HVAC systems age, they start to experience wear and tear as well as mechanical problems. Sometimes, these problems are easy and affordable to fix, but sometimes your HVAC system will need extensive and costly repairs. The prices can range from a couple of hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.
Therefore, it is recommended that you keep your HVAC system cleaned, inspected, and maintained throughout the years to avoid expensive repairs. Below, we will review seven of the most expensive HVAC repairs many of our customers at Ambient Edge have experienced.
1. Refrigerant Leaks
When your HVAC system has a refrigerant leak, the condenser will have to pick up the pace and work harder to keep your home or business comfortable. If you do not fix this immediately, the issue will only worsen. This means that the condenser will eventually give out and stop functioning altogether.
You will need a professional HVAC technician to find and repair your refrigerant leak promptly, which can be long and tedious.
2. Compressor Replacement
Your HVAC unit’s compressor moves the refrigerant through the system to eliminate humidity and heat. However, once the coils become dirty, the compressor must work harder, which may put strain and tension on it. This can lead to it overheating or completely failing.
When this happens, you must contact an HVAC professional to fix it immediately. Remember that this is one of the most intensive HVAC repairs, making it very expensive.
3. Broken Fan Motor
Your outdoor HVAC unit has a fan that blows the hot air from the inside of your system to the outside. Tree branches, dirt, dust, and debris sometimes get trapped inside your outdoor HVAC unit, causing it to deteriorate and break down over time. Some people ignore this or do not think that it is important enough to worry about, but the truth is that you need to properly clean and maintain your outside HVAC unit routinely.
This means you should remove the leaves, dirt, dust, and debris that have fallen onto your outside HVAC unit as soon as possible. If you do not feel safe or comfortable doing this, it is recommended that you get in touch with an HVAC specialist to get the job done for you. If you fail to do this, your fan motor will stop working properly.
When a fan motor starts to fail, you will notice loud and strange noises coming from the unit. However, you should not wait to contact a technician until you hear these noises. This will prevent a more serious or permanent problem from occurring.
4. Attic, Basement, or Crawlspace Ventilation Issues
There will be trapped heat, humidity, and moisture when there is no ventilation in the attic, basement, crawlspace, or another area of the home. This can lead to structural issues within your home, leading to mold, mildew, and decay. If you cannot properly ventilate your attic, basement, or crawlspace, you may run your AC system more often than you should.
However, you can hire an HVAC technician to improve your ventilation within any area of your home to avoid health, property, and HVAC issues.
5. Broken Louver
Your HVAC system’s louver is in charge of distributing cool and warm air across an area or space in your home. However, if you do not carefully handle your HVAC unit and forcefully move the louver, you may damage or break it, which can prevent your system from properly spreading cool or warm air in the direction you need. This type of repair is avoidable if homeowners would not touch the louver with their hands.
Even though a broken louver may seem simple to repair, it can become costly depending on how much damage has been done.
6. Condenser Replacement
An HVAC system is made up of two different parts, which are the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. Your condenser is the unit that remains outdoors. Its main purpose is to move the air outdoors through condensation. However, the condenser can easily break because of several different reasons, such as refrigerant leaks, damage caused by dirt and leaves, and electrical problems.
When this happens, a licensed and trained HVAC specialist must inspect, diagnose, and repair the condenser. If they cannot repair it, a replacement may be suggested. This can become a very time-consuming process, leading to hours of work for the technicians; therefore, you can expect to receive a hefty HVAC repair bill.
7. Evaporative Coil Replacement
If you notice that your HVAC system is leaking refrigerant, there is a good chance that the evaporative coil has gone bad. The refrigerant goes through the coil, and the coil soaks up the heat. Therefore, it will be much harder to get your home to cool down when a leak occurs because the heat is no longer being taken in.
An HVAC repair technician will most likely explain that repairing the coil is not an option. This is because the coil is a very complex element of the HVAC system, making it impossible to locate and fix the issue. That said, you will need a complete replacement.
If You Need HVAC Repair or Replacement, Contact Ambient Edge Today
After learning about these expensive HVAC repairs, you will likely want to try your best to avoid encountering them. You can do this by ensuring that your HVAC system receives the inspections, cleaning, and maintenance needed to function to its full potential each year. It is easy to go about your daily duties without ever thinking about your HVAC system, but you will wish that you had taken the proper precautions when issues emerge.
That is where Ambient Edge comes in, as we are HVAC professionals who will travel to your home or business and handle all your HVAC needs. Call our office or complete our contact form today to schedule an appointment or learn more about our services. We proudly help clients in Arizona and Nevada and look forward to helping you as well.